American democracy disintegrates under Trump’s authoritarianism | Opinion

Democrats wrongly branded as ‘enemy within’

I studied and taught American history for a good portion of my life. I am now watching the disintegration of our democratic republic.

Donald Trump and Stephen Miller and the fire breathers in Congress act as though they will never have to give up power to Democrats. Democrats are no longer the opposition party. They are the “enemy within.” The language used by the administration isn’t political. It is the language of war and conquest. Trump uses language to dehumanize Democrats just as he has to dehumanize immigrants.

Trump is using a militarized ICE and the National Guard to provoke his enemies in democratically controlled American cities. He wants a violent response in the cities so that he can justify further use of force. He is waging war against the 75 million people who voted against him.

Don’t look for a free and open midterm election. Don’t look for Trump to leave office in 2029. They already have hats that say, ”Trump 2028.” We are already living with an authoritarian president.

Gordon Fake, Fresno

Prop. 50 is actually good for Clovis

Prop. 50 enables CA to redistrict to balance Texas’ bowing to (President) Trump’s order to shuffle the deck, and do a mid-census redistricting to generate five more Republican House seats.

I had no idea why a nominally non-partisan town council was choosing to vote on a state/national issue. I thought that this council was primarily concerned with operating Clovis in an effective and efficient manner.

The Clovis City Council members did say that they were disturbed by Prop. 50 for a bunch of very partisan reasons which I will ignore. I found that there was one reason that was local. Instead of being in just one Congressional district, Clovis would be in three districts and have three House representatives.

The council saw this as an inconvenience. Instead of one phone call to their House rep, they would have to make three calls. They considered this as an unbearable burden and voted no on Prop 50.

Actually, that is not a problem. It is a favorable outcome. Clovis would have three people representing it and likely in both Houses. What could be better? Too bad that the council could not see past their partisan noses.

Richard Caputo, Clovis

Another liberal gun grab

I am a gun owner and a believer in reasonable gun control laws, and this one is just stupid: Ban a gun because criminals use them during the commitment of a crime.

Really, again we penalize law-abiding citizens when the criminal gets off. Why not pass a law that will punish the criminal for using a gun — any gun — not just Glocks. Won’t happen because it does no. fit their agenda of controlling the citizens of California and then we would have to build more prisons. Not going to happen.

The true irony is they will be sued and the law will be found to be unconstitutional and overturned, and then the cycle will begin. Appeal, stay, appeal and yet another stay.

When you have unlimited tax dollars, the game never ends. We will never see this end till we vote them out and get intelligent politicians, I can’t even say that with a straight face. We need a change and a change soon. When will the citizens of California wake up to this obscene power grab.

Duane Opie, Fresno

Law firm rip-offs

Let be it said that the multitude of law firms that have inundated the television networks and billboards are contaminating our once proud legal system with appetizers that mislead many citizens into believing that they are going to make hundreds of thousands of dollars if they just trust lawyers to handle even trivial cases that will actual benefit law firms more than the plaintiffs.

At the same time these law firms are destroying the lives of many by preying upon insurance companies and ripping off with high commissions from settlements for themselves. They know that most juries don’t understand and are ignorant of the fact that insurance rates and lack of coverage are a direct result of unjust and high awards given by sympathetic and oftentimes undereducated jurors.

There is no such thing as a “jury of peers.” That is a rip-off term to allow attorneys to select a jury they know cannot relate to “facts” and are truly ignorant people that do not know what a hoax the system is.

Michael Der Manouel, Sr.

Dems, GOP on shutdown

There is a government shutdown which will negatively impact a lot of people. This happened because the government needed to pass a budget extension by September 30 and didn’t. There has been an impasse as a result of the so-called Big Beautiful Bill that the Republicans passed without any Democrats voting for it.

In this “beautiful” bill were huge tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, and huge cuts to Medicaid (over $1 trillion) and food stamps ($187 billion) calculated over 10 years. Another huge cut was not extending the subsidies for Obamacare which will result in millions dropping their health insurance as the average premium will more than double from $888 to $1,906.

So why did the government shut down? The Republicans are proposing keeping things just as they are. In the Senate, it needs the approval of 60 votes, meaning the Republicans need Democratic votes to pass a budget extension to keep the government operating. The Democrats, to their credit, say they are not going to approve a budget that doesn’t extend the Obamacare subsidies and reduce other cuts. Trump and the Republicans are against that.

You decide who has the best interests of the American people in mind!

Stephen Sacks, Fresno

Seniors, beware of online scammers

As a retired professional from Fresno who now advocates for older adults in my community, I was saddened — but not surprised — that 42 state attorneys general needed to write a letter to Meta calling on the social media company to curb fraudulent ads that target seniors with fake investment opportunities.

These devastating “pump and dump” scams appear real and implore seniors to invest, only to ultimately rob them blind.

Scammers are tricky, sophisticated, and work online. Right here in the Central Valley, the grand jury recently released a jarring report on elder financial abuse. The findings are stark: thousands of confirmed cases, yet less than 3% are ever prosecuted.

As an advocate for seniors, I’ve seen this firsthand. The results can be devastating. For many elders on fixed incomes, losing a few thousand dollars can mean losing access to medications, food or even housing. This is not a civil matter — it’s criminal.

Meta and other digital platforms serve as entry points for many scams and must be held accountable. Lawmakers need to make this a priority and invest in law enforcement and public outreach to educate seniors about financial abuse.

Our elders deserve justice and protection — now.

Rebecca Hall, Fresno

Fresno is losing golf inclusivity

I’m happy to read that Fresno is climbing higher in the ratings for economic inclusivity].

I can’t help but wonder how the numbers will look after the Airways golf course closes and leaves us with one 18 hole public course and five private country clubs. It doesn’t sound all that inclusive to me.

Brian Ohde, Fresno

Newsom right to sign this bill

The recent story about Madera Community Hospital delivering its first baby since reopening is a heartwarming milestone, but it also underscores a pressing and serious problem. Many Californians live in rural areas hours from essential services, and resources are shrinking.

In these communities, Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are often the only anesthesia providers available. They make surgery, emergency care, and safe childbirth possible close to home. When it comes to labor and delivery, every second counts.

Gov. Newsom’s recent signing of AB 876 is a critical step forward. The law codifies CRNAs’ long-standing independence in California, helping hospitals — and all health care facilities — keep vital services local, timely and affordable.

Rural communities rely on advanced practice providers like CRNAs to make care accessible. For families in the Central Valley, this law means safer care closer to home — and it couldn’t come at a more important time.

Lauryn Hopper-CNPA/DNAP, Fresno

This story was originally published October 19, 2025 at 5:30 AM.